Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Today was probably one of the most terrifying yet amazing days of my life. James and Felix were heading off mountain biking at Petzen, just across the border, and even by this morning we still hadn't quite decided what the rest of us would be doing.

The evening before, we'd been recommended the Peca mine as we were served dinner. I had read about it before but completely forgotten about it. It's a disused lead/zinc mine, now converted into a tourist destination, and you can kayak or mountain bike through various tunnels, providing you book in advance.

You can also book group tours, but if you turn up on the day, you can join a tour that starts at 11am. James and Felix were obviously keen to get on their way, so they dropped us off just after 9am in the sleepy town of Mezica. We couldn't really think of anything to do apart from make our way straight to the mine, in the hope of being able to pass the time visiting the museum etc., and getting in early on the tour, not knowing how many spaces were available.

We were first at the site, and they explained how it worked and opened up the museum for us. There were a few rooms with mineral samples (always fascinating for me and the kids), some other exhibits, a lovely photography exhibition with atmospheric music, and a full size example of a miner's apartment complete with model family. We were left to wander round by ourselves, in fact I had to unlock the apartment myself with a set of keys I found nearby, a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Then we explored an 'info maze', by no means the trickiest of mazes but with lots of info about the mountain, mine, flora and fauna to read. We bought some ice creams to eat outside by a play park, and then headed in for the main event.

I'm not really sure I can do the mine tour justice. First we kitted up with a coverall, helmet, pouch and torch attached to a battery (which goes in the pouch). Plus an English audio guide in our case. The tour begins with a 15 minute train ride that takes you 3.5km into the mines. However, this is not just any train - it's the trains that were used to transport miners into the mines when it was working. So you have to squeeze yourself into a tiny dark carriage, up to 8 in a carriage. Then they shut the doors, leaving you in pitch blackness.

The tour is not recommended for pregnant, elderly or claustrophobic people. I am mildly claustrophobic, but managed to achieve an impressive level of zen, even as the train headed into the mine at what felt like 100km/h, but was apparently only 10km/h.

The train bumps, rattles and shakes its way down the tracks, occasionally throwing you against the carriage walls as it rounds a bend. It's terrifying, exhilarating and feels incredibly long. My mantra was "we're still on the tracks, we're still on the tracks". I was a bit concerned about what coming to a halt would be like, but we actually rolled gently to a stop in a brightly lit tunnel, much to my relief.

Then it was a 1.5km walk up, down and around the mine led by the tour guide/train driver with many interesting stops, supported by the audio guide. I won't go into too much detail about the interior of the mine, you'll have to go there! My heroes were a disabled young lady who was clearly having trouble getting up and down the steps but pushed through it all, her mother and the ever cheerful, informative and supportive tour guide.

We arrived back at the train by a circular route, and then it was time for the same journey out of the mine, equally exciting but with the bonus of knowing what to expect. The kids spent their usual few quid on souvenirs, and we headed back into town for a late lunch and hung out in the park (where we found a pump track for Felix) until the boys rejoined us. I'm sure Felix will pick the story up from there!

EDITED TO ADD: Apparently Felix isn't going to pick up the story from there, he's planning on doing a vlog instead (eventually!). Just before James and Felix got to us an enormous storm hit - quite terrifying! Felix was still determined to go on the pump track so we sat in the car and sat it out while the lightning flashed around us and the rain hammered down. Finally it passed and Felix hopped out to go ride but didn't stay out long! We headed back to the hotel for a lovely dinner and a relaxing last night in Slovenia.

Published on Friday 3 August 2018

Comments